My name is Katherine Wade, and for eight years of marriage, I lived two completely separate lives. To my husband, Marcus, I was a part-time freelance graphic designer who worked from our brownstone apartment, bringing in a modest income that barely covered my personal expenses. To the rest of the world, I was the founder and CEO of Wade Digital Solutions, a marketing and branding firm with forty-two employees, offices in three cities, and annual revenue that had just crossed the twelve-million-dollar mark.
The deception wasn’t malicious—at least, that’s what I told myself. It was protective. It was self-preservation dressed up as a white lie that grew bigger every year until it consumed everything.
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I met Marcus Chen at a gallery opening in Manhattan’s Chelsea district. He was charming and attentive in a way that made me feel seen. On our second date, when he asked what I did for a living, I started to tell him the truth. “I run a marketing company—”
“Oh, one of those boss-lady types,” he interrupted, his tone playful but with an edge I couldn’t quite identify. “My ex was like that. Total workaholic, always choosing her career over everything else. It got exhausting.”
Something in his expression—a tightness around his eyes, a tension in his shoulders—made me pivot mid-sentence. “Actually, I do freelance graphic design. Mostly from home. Nothing too demanding.”
His whole demeanor shifted. He relaxed, his smile more genuine. “That’s great. I love that you’re not one of those women who’s married to their job. There’s something really attractive about someone who has their priorities straight.”
I should have ended things right there. That comment alone should have sent me running. But Marcus was funny and handsome, and I’d been single for two years after a relationship that ended badly. I was lonely. So I told myself it was just one small lie, a detail I could clarify later once he knew me better.
